Addicted-NEED HELP

Hawk,

I'm sorry that you find yourself in the position that you are currently in, but I disagree with those who tell you NOT to tell your doctor, I believe that you should tell him/her. First, I don't believe that any legitimate pain management doctor would have wanted their patient taking all of those immediate release oxycodone at one time. I  think that you indeed have made an error or there is some type of misunderstanding in the way you are supposed to take those meds.

Secondly, there are options available to you, in the form of other long acting medications that can take that might very well help you with the pain and your addiction. Taking more than prescribed , for the euphoria is addiction, not a tolerance issue.

Suboxone is a good medication that can be and is used for the treatment of addiction, and also is being used for the treatment of chronic pain, at certain dosages. Many people that I have come across, have successfully used suboxone instead of the "traditional" opiates to treat both conditions.

Buprenorphine (suboxone or subutex) is also another medication that may be used to treat chronic pain...it is fairly new to the market but has good reports so far.....

Rehab is one thing that you can consider as well, and getting back into PT, using TENS, ice, heat, over the counter heat patches, anti-inflammatories, massage, and even accupuncture all can help to ease the pain, as well as visualizations, and tons of other things.

There is an implanted intrathecal pain pump- which delivers opiates, and when necessary, muscle relaxants, lidocaine type of meds, can all be delivered directly into the spinal canal, which allows for micro doses of the medications because they are spread throughout the spinal canal which allows the meds to get  to the source of the pain much sooner and allows really good pain relief.

Your other option is a spinal cord stimulator- this is an implanted device that has leads that run parallel to the spinal cord, and similar to the TENS unit, causes an anesthesia of sorts to disrupt the pain signals.

So you do have options my new friend, you just need to have a very frank and honest discussion with your physician. He is there to help you and he will offer you many options, but only when you decide to be honest with him about what is really going on.....

Sandi

Hawk,
No one can guarantee you that your doctor will react the "right' way, and not cut you off immediately, but in my 20 years of dealing with pain management doctors for various conditions, I have found that most genuinely want to help their patients, and most are very understanding when it comes to knowing that addiction can happen and that treatment is the most helpful to the patient and the doctor.
The only way that you will find out what he will or will not do, is for you to talk honestly with him. If he does cut you off, is that really so bad, considering the way that your life is right now? You might find that once you are off the pain meds that your pain levels are much lower. There are studies that suggest that pain levels are increased due to being on pain meds..and once a person stops taking them , and their own endorphins kick back in, that the patient may find that their pain levels are substantially lower than they believed them to be while taking pain meds.
If your doctor does cut you off, then you can go to the suboxone website and find a local doctor who is able to prescribe the medication, assuming that your doctor does cut you off.
The only decision that you have to make is if living as you are, is tolerable? Running out of meds, the constant worries over having enough to make it through to the next office visit, or trying to find some other doctor to write you for more....and having the money to get them. Or are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? In that case, you have made the decision to talk honestly with your doctor and get help.

I took myself off of oxycodone. The last few days have been a living hell the withdrawals are terrible and my pain is awful. I'm not sure what my next move will be. I know that I can't continue without some help and medication. Thanks to every one here for all the help and advice.

Hi Hawk~

Just wanted you to know that there are people here that still are watching out for you and care deeply that you are OK. It's obvious from all of the posts that each of us know that it could be one of us in the position you are in and have a lot of empathy for your situation.

Love and Hugs!
Chutz

Hawk,
How are you fairing today? I am worried about you and hope to see something from you some time today. It gets better, maybe not in the way we pray it to, but it does. mrsm13 stated above "One of the problems with withdrawal- is that your pain levels will seem to escalate," Once you work yourself past this, and can see what your true pain levels are you may be surprised. Keep talking to someone, us, a counselor, someone.

All I know is my own personal experience with pain meds. I take them as my dr prescribes and that's it. I have legitimate pain, and I look at my pain meds as good as gold because they relieve my pain. I can't say I even like the high of taking more than needed. I actually kind of hate feeling out of it. If you are taking all 6, a whole day's worth, at once, then you are probably right about yourself being addicted. If you are in pain the rest of the day, can't you space them out, and take maybe 2 3 times a day? You won't get the high, but you'll probably be better able to control your pain. I tell my doctor everything. I tell him HOW I take my meds, WHEN I take my meds, and WHY I take two together sometimes. He totally understands that sometimes one pill will just not do it. He yelled at me once because I wasn't taking them on a regular schedule but waiting for the pain to get bad before taking one at all.

Please don't do this to yourself. I agree with others here who have said that if you tell your dr you are addicted, you will have a hard time getting any dr to treat you with narcotic pain meds. If you go to rehab, you'll never have pain meds prescribed for you again, unless you get a good dr who will do it under very close supervision. Like filling an Rx once a week. I just don't understand taking them for the high is all I'm trying to say. Isn't the pain relief more valuable than the high? So wouldn't it make sense to space out your six pills throughout the day to control pain instead of taking them all at once?

Do you go through withdrawals later in the day when you have no more to take? Do you run out of your prescription early? I am trying not to be judgemental, but I just don't understand, so please forgive me if I sound like I am preaching to you. I want to see you get the pain relief you need without having to abuse the drug to do so. Most of the time, I forget to take my pain meds: until I am in pain, then I remember that I forgot them and have to dig my way out of pain. I have to make myself remember to take them most of the time. I have a lot of pain issues, but I don't want to lose the trust of my dr. It takes a long time to gain a dr's trust, but only once incident to lose it.

I hope that with everything that has been said in response to you something will be of help to you. I hate to see anybody in pain, but I hate worse seeing someone abusing their pain meds. I hope you find the help you need without losing the help you already have available to you.

Went to the doctor and come clean about my problem. He was very understanding and caring about my situation. After a stern lecture (that I deserved) he decided to keep treating me with the understanding that my wife take control and administer my medication on the proper schedule. I am also required to submit to a pill count at anytime and if I am short, he will no longer treat me. I am lucky to have such a caring doctor and after going through withdrawals and the resulting untreated pain I have decided that it is not worth losing my care completely. I now have a new mindset and think that my days of misusing my medicine are over. I would like to thank everyone here for their help and advice it is really refreshing to find a group of strangers that were willing to offer help and advise in such a manner.

So glad Hawk-you faced the monster and survived....and doc did not drop you...here in Mississippi thye would have fed you to the wolves...so glad you ahve a second and LAST chance...take advantage of it and best of luck to you

I have been where you were and will NOT go back agaij...my hub administers meds for me, because i am an ADDICT that cannot control my intake....if 2 is good 4 is better-lol!!

i am very proud of you
<
Maggie

Congratulations Hawk, I am really happy for you, and proud !
Good luck.

Hi Hawk,

First of all, I have to agree with some of the previous comments. There is a huge distinction between being opiod dependent and being an addict. Trust me, I have been both. I have been diagnosed by a paychiatrist as being in "long term full remission" from my cocaine addiction.

However, many doctors are reluctant to prescribe narcotics to anyone who admits to having a substance abuse issue, past or present. I was very fortunate years ago to have a Neuro-Psychiatrist who provide pain management. This doctor treated me for both my chornic pain and my substance abuse. He did prescribe narcotic pain medication, but monitored it carefully. During this time I also chaired 12 step meetings for narcotics addictions. At times I felt like a hypocrite, but my doctor assured me there is a huge difference from taking medications as prescribed for a legitimate condition and abusing drugs. The key point here is taking them as prescribed.

I would not suggest admitting to abusing drugs, as you will likely become labeled and it may be difficult to obtain pain meds, but I would let him know they are not working. My pain doctor rotates my medication from MS contin with Percocet 10 for breakthrough pain with Fentanyl patches with the Percocet. Changing the meds every few months seems to help with the tolerence issues, and having a long-acting opiate combined with an instant release opiate seems to help me as well. I also take Neurontin for my neuropathy and Cymbalta, which is an anti-depressent which seems to help with pain. Additionally, I take muscle relaxers if I must, but they make me sleep so soundly that I do not shift positions enough during the night, and then end up in more pain than what I started with. However, when I have a few sleepless nights, I do have to take them.

I hope some of this helps. Best of Luck,
Janet